Sleepless Nights
by XoXoNiLeY2010
Summary: She's a pain in the ass. She's infuriating. Annoying as hell. She's demanding. But she's also smart. Witty. She has the biggest heart... How do I know? She can't fall asleep at night because of the guilt she carries around. I'm in love with her. NILEY
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot!**

**Chapter One**

Tuesday - October 27th, 2010

My bedroom – Dallas, Texas

**I can't sleep.**

_Close your eyes._

**I can't read your text with closed eyes, smartass. I'm not psychic.**

_Good to know you haven't lost your wit. _

**And that's meant to make me sleep how?**

_Call me._

It doesn't take longer than a minute for my phone to start vibrating in my hand.

"You just hate me so much, you can't let me get one decent night's sleep, can you? It's 1 am."

"Sorry." She apologises, her voice lacing with fake remorse.

"You're a pain in the ass Miley Ray but I obviously can't let you become an insomniac."

"Of course not, then you'd be responsible for the bags under my eyes getting darker." She teases.

"Of course." I shake my head at her. "Okay, now listen good, okay? No talking." I expect her to talk back but as always she is unpredictable and for once, remains silent. "Are you lying down?" I wait for an answer but quickly realise I told her not to talk. I chuckle. "You'll be the death of me, Stewart. Alright so lie down, let your body sink into the mattress." I do the same, letting my head sink into the pillow. "Try to imagine what life would be like if you had _everything_ you wanted."

"Imagine if you were on a beautiful island, in one of the most expensive hotels in the world. You have a big, wide bed for you alone."

"Why can't we share?" She muses out loud.

"Miley!" I scold. "I said no talking."

"This isn't working, Nick!"

"Well maybe if you shut up it would." I huff.

"Okay, okay, fine." She sighs dramatically.

"So imagine it's the comfiest bed in the world. You sink into the soft mattress and your body completely relaxes."

"_Nickkkk!_" She whines like the big baby she is.

This nightly routine we've had going for as long as I can remember isn't working anymore. I realise, not without mixed feelings, that I am losing my edge when it comes to putting Miley sleep.

_Little did I know how big of a turning point that moment was. _

"I'll be there in 5." Is all I say as I pull a pair of jeans over my boxers and t-shirt over my bare chest.

...

Thursday – November 3rd, 2010

Miley's bedroom – Dallas, Texas

"I can't believe she actually did that!" Miley buries her head against my shoulder in the sole purpose of muffling her laughter from her sleeping family members. Our nightly conversations take all sorts of wild turns, the present one being about one of Miley's favourite tv shows. A loud yawn escapes her lips when her body finally stops shaking with her uncontrollable giggles.

"Go to sleep." I instruct, my voice stern. I feel her shake her head beside me. "Miley-"

"I don't want to." Remember how I said she was a big baby? Well, this was exactly what I mean by that.

"You have to." I let out a yawn of my own. "We have school tomorrow."

"Don't care." Her voice is muffled by the pillow against which she insists rubbing her nose against because it smells like me. Don't ask.

I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Mi?"

"Mmm?"

"Come here." Against my better judgement, I let her crawl into my arms and snuggle against my chest.

Okay, I know what you're thinking... we're friends. Some would say best friends... We probably shouldn't be this comfortable about sleeping in the same bed, let alone sleeping in each other's arms.

But... why should I deny myself of the luxury of having her in my arms every night? It gives me an odd sense of security and it simply makes me happy to know I can help her with her sleeping problem by just holding her. It's not like she is asking me to climb the Mount Everest.

My best friend needs me, what else am I supposed to do? Send her to a shrink? Well that might be the reasonable thing to do. But nothing is reasonable when it comes to Miley. Reasonable is not part of her vocabulary and it has slowly slipped out of mine. I am supposed to be the reasonable one here... Blame her for rubbing off on me.

"You're all hard." She complains after a moment's silence. I groan as I shift, attempting to make her more comfortable. "Stop moving."

"I thought you weren't comfortable?" I chuckle into the darkness.

"I'm not." She sits up abruptly and presses her fingers to my stomach. "Have you been working out?"

"No more than usual."

"You weren't this hard yesterday."

"Mi, you don't get abs over night." I shake my head, smiling amusedly. She can be so absurd sometimes. Well... not just sometimes; most the times, really.

"Here, roll onto your side." She does as told, leaving her back facing me. "Now lift your head." I slip my arm under her head and bring my body close to hers so I am spooning her, her head resting on my bicep. "Better?"

"Perfect." Is all she whispers before I hear her breathing slow down and her body relax against mine. I smile to myself as I look at the odd ball of femininity curled up in my arms. She is one of a kind...

She's infuriating.

She's annoying as hell.

She's demanding.

She needs _a lot_ of attention. And by that I really mean _all_ my attention. God forbid I don't listen to her rambling for half of second...

In my defence, she does talk a lot. There's only so much attention a guy can have... especially when that same girl keeps you up at night. I do need my beauty sleep, you know? How do you think I manage to look this good? Okay, okay, I know I sound like every other typical jock that's out there. Which I'm not. Well... I would be if it weren't for _her_. She somehow manages to keep me in check. Again... don't ask.

She's smart and witty.

She doesn't get offended when I tease her and express just how much of a pain she is. In fact, she seems proud of herself.

She has the biggest heart. How do I know? Her heart broke to pieces when her father left her, her mother and her siblings... Three years later she still can't fall asleep without feeling the guilt weighing on her chest...

Point is... she's got a big heart, something you won't find out unless you're as close as we are. And even then... she tries to hide it from me. But lucky, or unlucky – depends how you see it, really - for her, I know better.

She's brutally honest and it's a big part of her charm.

She's _beautiful_. In and out. From head to toe. Every inch of her is beautiful in my eyes.

And I'm _in_ _love_ with her.

**Something new and random... I honestly have no idea where this is going... it could be a story. It could be a one-shot or two-shot... Don't know, really! I guess it all depends on you ;) Lemme know what you think!**

**xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Made slight changes in the first chapter so I could turn this into a story... Just check the dates in the first chap, that should clear things up for you.**

**Chapter Two**

Thursday – November 3rd, 2010

Miley's bedroom

_I am in love with her._

Okay, so maybe this isn't a good place to start... Let's rewind a couple of months and go back to the first day of school.

...

Monday - August 30th, 2010

First Day of Senior Year

Today is the day I become a senior. Do I care? No. Should I care? Probably. Miley on the other hand is another story...

"Can you believe it, Nick? In a few months we'll be done with high school. _Forever_." She leans back against her seat beside me in my brand new Harley Davidson pickup truck.

Did I mention my dad is some hot shot CEO who works 24/7 and earns thousands? Hence the fancy car...

Anyways, back to reality.

"One day you're going to look back at your high school days and wish you could be a teenager all over again." What can I say? _I_ am the reasonable one, here.

"Yeah... I don't think so. _Nothing_ can be as bad as having to sit in a classroom for hours at length listening to the most boring teachers of all times. As if that wasn't enough, as soon as we get back from school we need to do _homework_. We're teenagers. We can't sit in the same spot for longer than two minutes... didn't they take that into account before creating _schools_?" I want to laugh.

And that my friend, is Miley for you. Remember how I said she talks a lot? Well that was just a tiny glimpse. And when I say tiny, I mean, really _really _tiny.

It's also pretty ironic how she insists on hating school when she's actually a pretty good student. So she might be a little rebellious and a little bit of a troublemaker at times... point is, she gets good grades, props to me for putting up with her and reminding her to do her homework when she gets carried away in 'ramble' world.

"Ah so that's your excuse. You can't sit in the same spot for no longer than two minutes at a time because you're a _teenager_. Wonder what excuse you'll use when you'll be 25." I smirk as I pull the car into park. Here we are...

"Shut up, Gray." Is the only response she can come up with because she knows I'm right. The girl has too much energy for her own good... At times it's endearing. Fun. At other times it can get... slightly annoying. Tiring. Yeah, definitely tiring when you're trying to sleep at 3 am while on the phone but _someone _won't shut up long enough for you to fall asleep.

"Ready, Stewart?" I wrap an arm around her shoulders and give her an affectionate squeeze.

"Come on, let's go show the teenies _who_ rules the school." I laugh as I watch her take a head start, her long legs taking quick strides towards the entrance. I follow behind, taking in the simple – and very _Miley_ – outfit she has picked out for the occasion.

Black denim shorts and a white wife beater she probably stole from me. The soft cotton has obviously shrunk in the wash since it looks a lot tighter than it has in the past. The whole outfit is topped off with a pair of black flip-flops, matching the black nail polish smoothed over her toe nails.

"Yo, Stewart!" I hear someone call out as we reach the front doors and I turn my head to check who the voice belongs to.

Lucas, of course.

"What do you want, Brody?" I notice the irritation in her voice when he nears her and attempts to place his hand on her waist. Lucas Brody has had a crush on Miley for as long as I can remember but Miley, being Miley, has rules. And that includes not dating jocks like Brody.

"Aw come on, don't be like that." He tries again to touch her but Miley's a fighter. She punches him in the gut hard enough for him to get the message. He backs off and scoffs before walking away.

"What was all that about?" I mumble as we walk down the hallway, shoulders bumping. I'm vaguely aware of the looks we're getting from our juniors as they move out of the way to let us go by.

Go back to playing with dolls, kids. Just... stop staring.

"He's just another one of those man whores who wants to prove to the world that I can be sexy in a dress. .." I laugh loudly.

Another thing you should know about Miley... she hates dresses and anything that rhymes with _femininity_. A hint of makeup is tolerable in her books but if there's just the slightest bit of extra... she'll have a fit. I think you get the picture...

Okay, I'm exaggerating. Truth is, she's got just the right amount of _'girl'_ in her.

She's careful about her looks but not obsessed. She's probably the only girl in school who isn't afraid of stepping outside without makeup. She doesn't get all giggly when the school's quarterback says hello to her. She just bumps her fists against his like any of his mates would. See what I'm getting at?

She's into romantic movie and comedies like girls are usually expected to be but she'll never admit that 'cause she likes to be known as the tough girl.

TV shows... she's got a few 'favourites' on her list.

Music... She isn't into Justin Biber, if you catch my drift... **(No offence to the Bieber fans! This is Nick's pov :P)**

And then there's her tomboy side. She plays soccer, basketball... anything that involves running around to use up all that overflowing energy of hers. And the best part? She's actually good at pretty much any type of sport.

She's got the kind of sense of humour who'll throw the whole class into fits of giggles. According to her, girl friends come with too much drama which is probably the reason why her best mates are mostly guys who love her wit and carefree-ness. In other words, _my_ friends. They probably love her more than they love me... Ever heard of bros over hoes? I don't think those guys ever have... but then again, she's Miley. _Miley. _That itself is enough said.

"You're probably the only girl who isn't excited at the prospect of prom." I tell her with a smile. So what...? I love that she's different. Shoot me. She raises her eyebrows slightly before shaking her head.

"I can't wait to see you all decked up in a tux." She grins wickedly. She has something in mind... she's up to something, I just know it. And I also know it's going to be a disaster.

"No way, I'm going to prom. I hate suits."

"You're going to have to wear one for your brother's wedding, you know."

Kevin Gray, aka my 22 year old brother, is getting married in December... And of course, Miley being like my mother's daughter-that-she-never-had (again, talk about irony) is invited. Just like my friends, my family probably loves her more than they love me. And once again... I can't blame them. She _is_ pretty lovable. In her _own_ way.

"And you will have to wear a dress." It's my turn to grin wickedly, watching amusedly as her face goes white.

"Shit. Hadn't thought of that." I laugh at her expression. She hits my arm but me, being me, I double over with laughter.

"You'll be fine, Miles." I reassure a moment later when my laughter dies down.

"Of course I'll be since I'll be having the flue on that day." She grins.

"Oh, no, no, no. You're not leaving me alone on that day. You _owe_ me."

"I don't _owe_ you anything." She huffs as she opens the locker she's had since freshman year. Mine is just two lockers down.

I laugh again because I'm not worried. I will find a way to make Miley sit out my brother's wedding, dress or no dress. I always get my way. Well... not with Miley. But this time I will. Mark my words.

The ringing bell tells us it's time to get to our first class and we reluctantly head down the crowded hallway.

Let the torture begin.

The morning goes by terribly slow, the only perks is having Miley in most of my classes. The teachers who taught us the previous years know to leave us alone. We're not brilliant but our grades are respectable and that's all they care about. We don't disrupt the class but we don't listen intently either. We always find something to do. Well, mostly Miley does. She's the crazy one, here.

Her latest game to pass the time?

Sudoku.

You know, the little puzzle with numbers? The one where you have to fill in the blanks with numbers? Yeah, _that._

Yes, I do believe this girl is mad... She actually cut out a few from a magazine and she's thinking hard, trying to fill every little box with numbers.

As soon as the teacher looks over at her, she slides the paper under her textbook, pretending to pay attention. Like that's not obvious...!

When she notices me snickering from my seat beside her, she throws me a glare. I yelp when she elbows me in the ribs and I get another glare. This time from the teacher. Perfect.

"Sudoku, Miles? Seriously?" I question when we finally exit the classroom.

"Hey, they say it's good for brain development and concentration." She defends. I simply laugh as we head towards a far corner of the courtyard. Miley sits down on the grass, her back resting against the pine tree we've carved a certain number of things in over the years.

"The carvings are still there!" She notices like every year on the first day of school. Some things never change...

"I'm kinda hungry." I admit as I lie down on the grass, my arms tucked under my head.

"Want some yummy mash potatoes from the cafeteria?" Miley asks sarcastically. Of course, that's enough to disgust me. The school cafeteria really serves the worst food in the world.

"Leonardo's after school?" I kick her foot with my own and look up at her.

"Of course." She responds in a duh tone.

We started this ritual last year when we couldn't take the cafeteria food any longer. Leonardo's is a small, homey cafe we had casually walked into one day after school. Not only is the food amazing, but the owners has taken a liking to us and always insists on giving us free desert when we come in, starving after a day of hell in high school.

"You can have my granola bars." Miley tosses two chocolate bars at me and I open them enthusiastically. I am a growing man, you know, I do need some kind of food every so often.

"Ew!" I exclaim as soon as I take the first bite and start chewing on it. I take a look at the wrapper and groan. "These are organic! It tastes like cardboard!" She shrugs like she couldn't care less. There's no trace of sympathy showing on her face. Some best friend she is, huh? "Don't tell me you're becoming some sort of health freak." For a second there, I'm looking at her like she has the meaning of life in her palm.

Miley is certainly not the type of girl who worries about her weight. She's not fat and she's not too skinny... in fact she's fit. Perfect, to be honest. How do I know she isn't one of those health freaks? Well... simply because she loves stuffing her face almost as much as I do. And I'm a big eater. Growing teen, remember?

However, the fact that she just gave me _organic_ granola bars has me worried. She just _can't _be turning into one of those health freaks. Who will I stuff my face with after school at Leonardo's?

"Those are my moms." She replies with a laugh and I feel stupid for even doubting her. "I forgot to get some last time I went grocery shopping... it was that or nothing."

"Nothing tastes better." I mutter. "You could have warned me." She laughs. _Again._

"You're such a baby." She rolls her eyes and sticks her earphones in her ears, blasting some sort of rock song I've heard one too many times in her presence.

I get up and head for the vending machine, signalling to Miley where I'm going. She gives me a quick nod and I'm on my way to get something that tastes better than organic granola bars. Anything will do at this point.

As soon as I get a few – okay I lied... a _lot_ – of snacks I'm ready to get back to Miley.

"Ooof!" I hear a yelp as I slam into someone at the corner of the hallway.

"Shit!" I mumble, noticing the scattered books lying on the ground along with my snacks. "Sorry, I don't pay much attention to where I'm going when I'm starving." I smile at the smiling brunette standing before me. "Hey, are you new?" I'm pretty sure I've never seen her before...

"Yeah. New senior." We both squat down to pick up the new books and I hand them over to her when I'm done. I gather my snacks and pop open a bag of chips.

"I'm Nick, by the way. I'm also a senior." Since when has Nick Gray been so nice to random girls whom he bumps into? Yeah, don't ask me 'cause I honestly don't know.

"Demi." She tucks a strand of her brown, highlighted hair behind her ear before looking up at me.

"Do you need some help? Someone to show you around the school or something?"

"That would be great! Thanks." She flashes me her thousand watt smile, one so similar to Miley's.

I just found Miley some competition in the 'best smiles' front.

"Follow me, I'll introduce you to Miley."

"Your girlfriend?" I laugh.

"My best friend. I'm sure she'd like to help out." I bite my lip trying to find a way to describe Miley. I come up with nothing. Instead, I point at Miley who's now telling off Lucas, hands on hips. I laugh.

"That's her."

"Whoa. She seems..."

"Feisty? Energetic? _Crazy_?" Demi laughs.

"I was thinking more along the lines of confident."

"That, she is." Almost _too_ confident at times.

"She's beautiful." Thankfully, we reach Miley before I can reply. What could I say to that anyways? Lucas stalks off when he notices me approaching and I silently gloat. I scared him off. Or maybe not... a guy can dream, right?

"Hey Mile? This is Demi." I turn to Demi. "Demi, this is Miley, my crazy best friend." I get smacked in the chest by the tall brunette and I groan. "Did I say crazy? I meant _abusive_ best friend." Demi's giggling beside me and I know that I'm owning the whole 'cool meeting' thing. You know how it can be when you meet people... awkward. Yeah, so I figure making a total tool out of myself would ease things up. And I'm right. So far, at least.

"Hi!" Miley smiles genuinely at Demi. "How's being new so far?" Way to be brutally honest, Miles. Thankfully, Demi's smile widens.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say I hate being stared at." This girl is awesome... Miley and her are going to hit it off just perfectly, I can feel it.

"Tell me about it!" Miley exclaims. "You might as well be walking around in an orange jumpsuit saying I went to jail for raping my sister."

...what...? WHAT? Demi's laughter rings through my ear and I'm left with my mouth, gaping open.

"What the heck, Mile? That'd be... incest. Ew. Not to mention totally gay." I scrunch up my nose. Miley lets out a giggle.

"Okay my example was a little weird... You get the picture though." Demi nods, her cheeks remaining stretched out. Does she ever stop smiling?

"So... want to show us your schedule?" I try to change the subject because honestly, I don't need to know about what people do these days to get locked up. Raping my sister? Really? Only Miley could come up with something like that.

**Hmmm... your thoughts? It's really fun to write Nick's pov but I'm not sure how good I'm doing with that. You might (or might not) have noticed I'm writing this story in the present tense, something I'm not used to... I had to edit this like three times because I couldn't get the tenses right... kept mixing 'em up! So... be tolerant :)**

**I'm on a bit of a writer's block with Perfectly Imperfect (my other story for those who don't know about it). I need to figure out the chronological order the things I have planned for it... I'm also lacking time since I've got tons of work and a bit of a hectic life atm... updates might be coming slower than usual, sorry in advance.**

**Wish me luck ;)**

**xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot!**

**Chapter Three**

Friday - September 3rd, 2010

"I didn't know you guys liked basketball." Demi comments from her seat on the grass, at the edge of the basketball court of the local park.

"There's a lot you need to learn about us." Miley calls back, smiling smugly as the ball she just shot goes sailing into the hoop, without touching the edges. Damn, she is getting really good at this game.

"So it seems." I hear Demi mutter just loud enough for me to hear. I send her a questioning look, my eyebrows rising of their own accord. Her smirk tells me all I need to know and I quickly look away, snatching the ball from Miley just as she is about to shoot another hoop.

"Nick!" She glares at me as I dribble pass her and shoot. Score!

"See that?" I smirk. "That's a pro, girls. Right there." I point at myself, walking like a proud ass. Which I am. But that's not the point. I hold the ball up above my head as Miley tries to get it back from me. I smirk at her.

"In your dreams, Gray." She retorts leaning up on her toes to knock the ball out of my hands. I'm not that much taller than her, but just enough to keep the ball away from her. Unfortunately though, she jumps high.

Demi chuckles, watching us out of the corner of her eyes. She has a stack of books lying next to her and I _almost_ feel sorry for how much work she has to catch up on (apparently our school is more advanced in the syllabus than her old school was – whatever that means).

"Yo, guys!" I turn around to see Joe (my male best friend) jogging towards us, his mass of unruly hair going everywhere with ever step.

"How long are you planning on letting your hair grow, Joe?" Miley comments from beside me and I grin. It's like she can read my mind.

"Until it's as long and as sexy as yours." He retorts, fingering Miley's long braid. She automatically swats his hand away and he whines childishly.

"You got it all wrong, _Joey._" I snicker at the use of Joe's girly nickname. "This hair." She fluffs the top of it, sending all the shorter hairs flying in every direction, "looks sexy only on _me._" She points at herself, imitating one of those brainless popular girls. I shake my head. She looks completely ridiculous and I can't deny the need to laugh.

"I should just cut it, shouldn't I?" Joe pushes his hair back, attempting to get it out of his eyes – with much difficulty, I should add.

"Yep, you should." I pat his shoulder.

"I think it looks cute long like that." The three of us whip our heads around towards the voice. Demi. Did Demi just _compliment_ Joe?

I meet Miley's eye and we both smirk as we watch on what's about to go down. 'Cause we all know what's about to happen.

"Really?" Joe's eyes light up as he approaches her. "You don't think it looks too girly?" See?

Insert eye roll right on cue. Miley snickers and I shoot her a look. She bites her lip to keep herself from letting her laughter escape her lips.

"Uhm, you could have hair like Miley and no one would mistake you for a woman. _Trust me._" She's biting her lip. And looking him up and down. Is she...

Is she checking him out? Oh gross.

Joe turns around to face us, a triumphant smile on his lips.

"I think I just found a new best friend." He plops down beside Demi. "A better one than you two ever will be." He glares at us for a split second before turning back towards her. "I'm Joe." He points at us. "These two nut cases' best friend."

"Demi." She smiles at him. "These nut cases' new friend." They both laugh at our expense.

"Did they just call us _nut heads_?" Miley whispers to me, her eyes never leaving the couple sitting on the grass. She crosses her arms over the orange ball which is now tucked between her chest and her arms.

"I think they just did." I imitate her actions – minus the ball, of course.

"Oh well." She laughs as she dribbles away, showing off her newly acquired basketball tricks. She lets the ball bounce between her legs before catching it with her left hand. She then dribbles a little further and swings it behind her back, this time catching it with her right hand. Did I mention I taught her all what she knows? Yeah, give me some credit here. "It's not far from the truth where you are concerned, _nut head_." She sticks her tongue out before throwing the ball at me. I don't have the time to react and it smacks into my stomach. _Ow._

"You're a traitor, Stewart." I throw the ball back at her but she's quick and she jumps just high enough to orient it towards the hoop. And in it goes. We make a good team. _Always have._

And that's how we roll. We're childish and immature most of the time and we live for those times where all we have to do is laugh at the stupidest things.

"Yo, lovebirds, can we join in the party? Let's make it a foursome!" Joe calls out. See what I mean?

"Ohhhh." Miley's eyes light up in mock interest. "Did someone say foursome?"

"You're sick." I punch Miley in the shoulder - softly of course, I haven't completely forgotten that she's a girl. _It's kinda hard to forgot, if you get what I mean_. I mean, uh, because, you know... she's got long hair. Yeah, that's why.

"Don't act like you wouldn't be into that." She retorts, sexual innuendos and everything. Does she really think that lowly of me? I should be offended. But I'm not. She's probably right to start with. Well... not really. Damn it, now it's all I can think of. _Thanks, Miles._

"I'm sure he'd be into it if you were part of it." Joe snickers. Demi is trying hard not to laugh and I just glare at the both of them. Miley shakes her head, brushing it off like she always does – without a second though.

I envy her for being able to brush off all the teasing at our expense. I mean, come on, sometimes it's just downright awkward. Not that anybody knows I feel like that. It's just that Miley's my best friend and I don't want some stupid comment from idiots like Joe to make things weird between us.

I'm not stupid. I know how most friendships end where opposite sexes are concerned. But with Miley... it's different. Or so I wanna convince myself. Point is. I don't like being teased. Not where Miley is involved.

"I call Demi on my team." I change the subject. "I hope you're good." I tease her as I pull her to our side of the court. A game against Joe and Miley... this is going to be _something_.

"Was captain of the girls' team in my old school. I was the point guard, baby!" I gawk at her.

"You play, shorty?" She scowls at me and I laugh. It's amazing to think I've only known the girl for a few days and I'm already nicknaming her.

"Who are you calling shorty, Dwarf?" She retorts wittily. Smart girl.

"I'm still taller than you." As usual, I have the last word.

After a good fifteen minutes of an intense game, Miley's bending over, trying hard to catch her breath. Turns out guarding me is more work than she initially thought.

"We win!" I throw it in her face, wanting more than anything to see the spark in her eyes. She's competitive as hell.

"No, you don't!" She's back on her feet, running towards me, her eyes beholding that spark I was just talking about. I smirk.

"Sore loser, Stewart?"

"Shut up." She snatches the ball out of my hands and stands behind the sideline getting ready to pass the ball to Joe. Technically speaking, the score is tied. But we all know who's better. I mean come on, Demi's got me on her team. We're obviously going to win.

"Nick!" Demi suddenly shrieks, pulling me out of my reverie. Reverie? Really, Nick? I sound like a girl. Oh well, that's what happens to you when you hang out with Miley...

Or maybe I was born with a girl's brain and a guy's body.

"Nick!" Demi's shaking me. Huh?

"What?"

"Miley just shot a three pointer."

"Huh?" I stare dumbly at the short brunette standing before me.

"They are three points ahead of us." She throws her hands up, seeming exasperated. "What's wrong with you?"

"I spaced out." I admit sheepishly.

"Is dreamland that interesting?" Miley's dancing in front of me, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"I'm gonna get you back, just you wait." I'm already passing the ball to Demi, getting ready to win this game.

"Sure you will." Miley's running alongside with me, standing in just the right place so Demi can't pass the ball to me.

"God damn it". I curse when Miley won't stop guarding me. "Demi!" I call out just before pushing Miley out of the way. She instantly passes me the ball and I do a jump shot just as Miley jumps on me. I'm knocked out of balance and land on my butt. It hurts but it's all worth it when I see the ball sailing through the hoop.

"That's cheating!" Miley yells, dusting herself off. Did I mention she fell on top of me? "He pushed me out of the way!" I can't stop smiling. Miley getting mad is just a sight I can't get tired of. She's feisty and she's got a voice and she uses it. "You jackass." My smile finally mirrors onto her face, begrudgingly, of course.

"You still win, what are you complaining about?" I extend my hand, silently asking her to pull me up. She's laughing happily and somehow, I don't care that I lost. Seeing her smile makes losing worth it.

And I'm becoming a cheesy idiot.

_God damn it, get yourself together, Gray._

...

Saturday – September 11, 2010

Gray Household

"Nick?"

"Mmmm?"

"Nick!" I groan at the feeling of someone shaking me. "Nick! If you don't get up, I swear I will kick your ass."

I hate my life.

Well, no I don't, not really. So what do I do? I laugh.

"Bring it on." I mumble through my sleepy haze. As if Miley could kick my ass.

"Ha, I knew you were awake!" I can almost see the triumphant smirk on her pretty face.

_BAM!_

"Ow!" I yelp in pain. "Did you just whack me in the head?" I open one eye. "With a _notebook_?"

"I warned you I would kick your ass."

"Let me sleep." I'm not in the mood for this.

"No! You promised you'd help me find a job. So help!"

"Later." I grumble, circling my pillow with my arms and hugging it to my chest.

"Nick. Come on." Her voice softens just enough for it to reach the guilty bone in me. Probably the _only _good bone I have in my body.

I did tell her I would help her find a job...

"Can you get out so I can get dressed?" Remind me to tell my mom to _not _let Miley in when I'm sleeping. I'm not up for brutal wake up calls.

"How do I know you're going to get up?" I finally open my eyes.

Her hair is damp and dangling loosely over her shoulders. She's in her usual attire – shorts and a tee – but I can't stop staring at her.

"You have pretty eyes." I hear myself whispering.

I've officially lost it.

She rolls her eyes but I can see the smile begging to curl up her lips.

"Sweet talking me ain't gonna get you nowhere, boy." She pushes me over and plops down beside me.

"Are you sure?" I rub the sleep from my eyes and take another good look at her. "I think you'll look good in a dress at my brother's wedding."

"We already settled that. I'm not going."

"Do you still want my help to get you a job?" I raise my eyebrows at her and I know I've won by the look that contorts her face.

"Fine. I'll wear a freaking dress. Just get me a job that will pay enough for my first year of Uni." She huffs.

"We've already talked about this, Mile." I turn serious, my heart weighing a little heavier than usual. Miley, her family and money in the same conversation don't go well with me.

Here I am, in my huge room, hell it almost looks like a condo of its own. And it's just a part of the house. A very small part of it. It's too big for a family of four, considering the eldest is moving out into his own household very soon.

And there's Miley and her family whose house is too small for them.

Life just... isn't fair sometimes.

"I'm not taking your family's money, Nick. We've already talked about this." She mimics.

And she's goddamn stubborn.

I sigh as I head for the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. This is going to be a long day, I can tell.

"I told you it can be a loan. You don't need to worry about it for a few years."

"Nicholas." She growls and I know it's time for me to shut up.

Like I said. She's goddamn stubborn.

**Short chapter that gives you a sort of insight on Niley's relationship, plus a hint of Miley's family situation... I know it's boring, trying to work on it the best I can ;)**

**If you really think this story is boring and you don't feel like it's going anywhere, be honest and tell me. Thanks!**

**I've also been trying to work on Perfectly Imperfect but everything I start writing is just... bleh. Can't tell you for sure when I'll be updating, sorry. **

**xoxo**

**Oh and I posted a one shot called Numb. It's in my profile. Check it out!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Saturday - September 18, 2010

Gray Household

Remember how I said Demi and Miley would be great friends? Yeah, well turns out they're a little more than great friends. They're like... the best of friends.

I just lost my best friend to another girl.

Don't guys usually lose their best girl friend to a guy? Well, things always work backwards with Miley, I don't know why I'm even surprised.

So how and when did Miley start choosing to hang out with other people but me?

Oh yeah, when Demi Munroe rocked into our lives.

Oh and you know my other best friend? Joe? Yeah, well I kinda lost him to Demi, too.

I hate my life.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" I flinch as Kevin punches me into the shoulder.

_OW._

He takes my silent treatment as a free pass to talk some more and ask questions.

"Where's Miley?" I groan.

"I don't know, okay?" I'm frustrated at the mention of Miley. Why is everybody asking me where she is lately? I mean I know Miley and I hang out a lot – or at least we used to – but that doesn't mean I don't hang out with other people. Right? Right. Hanging out with me, myself and I is good from time to time, isn't it? Okay, good, we're on the same page.

"Whoa, calm down, man." Kevin looks at me curiously before deciding my mood swings aren't important enough for him to dwell over.

Good choice, big brother. Good choice.

"Nick!" And just like that, I'm knocked off my feet by the 5'4 tiny woman who's about to marry my brother.

Danielle.

"Hey Dani!" I smile, returning her warm hug.

"Hey, hey, hey." Kevin interrupts. "How is this fair? She gets a 'Hey Dani' and all I got was you snapping at me." His eyes narrow at me. "What's wrong with you?"

I guess he changed his mind... my mood swings seem important to him after all. Damn it.

"Where's Miley?" Danielle suddenly notices my best friend's absence.

"Not you too!" I snap.

"See. Something's wrong with him." And Kevin's talking like I'm not even there.

"I can hear you, you know."

"What's wrong, Nick?" Dani's voice is soothing as she lifts herself onto the bar stool beside me at the island. I give her a lopsided, apologetic smile.

"I didn't mean to snap."

"Are you sure you're okay?" She tries once again but my lips are sealed. I will not turn into a girl and become a cry baby. No. That would be a crime against humanity.

"Yeah, I'm fine." This time a fake smile twists up my lips and she drops a kiss on my cheek before she and Kevin leave me be.

For now at least.

_On a break, come keep me company? – M_

My phone lights up with the short message.

And now I feel like an ass. I completely forgot about Miley's first day at the dinner a few blocks away, the very one we went to several days ago to get her the job she needed.

I resist the urge to ask her where Demi is and settle with a simple reply.

_On my way._

The dinner is definitely crowded and I'm surprised she even gets a break given the chaos. The chef in the back kitchen is yelling out a bunch of instructions to his staff and everybody's scrambling around, taking and giving orders from the usual clients.

I laugh as I spot Miley running out of the kitchen, an apron wrapped tightly around her small frame. Her hair is up in a messy bun and I can tell her boss isn't going easy on her from the exhausted look on her face.

"Aren't you gonna take my order?" I ask as she steps around the counter on which is situated the cash register. Her eyes lock on me and a relieved smile spreads across her cheeks.

"Thank god." She breathes out as she stumbled into my arms. Uhm... okay? "First day and he's already driving me nuts!" She huffs. "What did I ever do to deserve this?" She mumbles against my chest and being the best friend in the world, I can't help but laugh.

"Aw, it can't be that bad, can it?"

"Worse." She mutters, her head never moving from its place on my chest. I laugh silently as I stir her towards a table and sit her down. I order two coffees from a waiter passing by before turning my attention back to Miley.

"Is it bad enough for you to quit and-"

"And accept your family's money? No." There's a finality to her tone and I know better than to press. I will get my way. Eventually. _I hope._

She sighs tiredly as she drops her head on the table.

"Where's your new best friend?" I stick my tongue out at her as she lifts her head from the table.

"Joe's probably sucking faces with her." Her laughter is muffled. "Can't say they are worried about moving too fast." She adds, her tone mocking. Joe's never been a worrier when it comes to girls so I shouldn't be so surprised. But I am. Because Demi never seemed like the easy kind of chick. But then again, it is quite obvious that she likes Joe more than just a little.

"Oh, so that's why you called me here? Because Demi was busy?" I tease.

"What are you talking about?" Her tone is so soft and she looks so tired I can't help but feel guilty at the small, insensitive jab I just gave her.

"Nevermind." I shake my head. "Here, drink this, it will give you an extra boost for the remaining of your shift." She smiles adoringly at the coffee I just pushed towards her and I can't help but smile at her antics. "Drink up." I nudge her knee with my own and she finally sits up straight. "You know, in all the time I've known you, I don't think I've ever seen you tired." I narrow my eyes at her. "What's up?"

"I told you." She hides her face behind the large cup as she takes a sip. "My boss is a slave driver."

"Do you have a fever of some sort?" I touch her forehead only to have my arm swatted away.

"I gotta get back to it." She gets up hurriedly and walks off, leaving me with our unfinished coffees. Did I say something...? I shake my head, trying to ignore the part of me that's telling me something isn't quite right here.

...

It's later that night that Miley walks in my room, a sheepish smile covering her face.

I smile as I spot her and close the textbook I was reading to welcome her.

"Hi, stranger."

"Hey." She wraps her arms around herself and rocks back and forth on her heels in a gesture that is so unlike the Miley I know.

"Wanna talk about it?" I raise my eyebrows at her. Her eyes widen for a split second and she just stares at me, seeming dumbfounded that I could pick up on her behaviour.

"How-how do you know I wanna talk?" I laugh silently and motion for her to sit beside me on my bed. She carefully takes a seat and I wonder what has happened to my best friend.

"Your odd behaviour kinda gave it away." I retort, smirking cockily.

"I'm-" She cuts herself off when she realises there's no point in contradicting me. "Okay so maybe I've been acting a bit weird lately."

"You think?" She chuckles and swats my arm, making me groan in mock pain. "You've been hanging out a lot with Demi." I point out, unable to restrain myself from pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah." She sighs deeply. "I just-" She shuts her eyes tightly and I'm suddenly nervous about what she's going to say next. Why? Don't ask me, I don't have a clue.

"What's up, Miles?"

"I've been looking for my father." She admits, her voice barely above a whisper. My eyes widen. She's talking about her father. No, no, scratch that, she's talking about _looking_ for her father.

"Oh whoa." For lack of better words...

"I'm so scared." She bites her lip and I can see her eyes filling with tears.

"Miley?" I pull her towards me, wrapping my arms around her. "Mi, what wrong?" I stroke her hair, holding her head comfortingly to my shoulder.

"Demi-" She hiccups. "Her father..." Still not getting it? I decide to let her cry it out on my shoulder, trying to put my worry aside as I try to comfort her. What does Miley's father have to do with Demi and her father?

"It's okay..." I whisper against her hair, brushing my lips lightly over her hair. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing... Comforting crying girls doesn't exactly come first on my to-do list. And to top it off this is Miley. And she's crying. Miley_ never_ cries. She pulls away from my hold and wipes her hands across her cheeks. I take that as my cue to ask again.

"Mi, what happened? Why are you crying?" My voice is soft. Too soft to my liking but I guess it suits the moment.

"Demi just told me that her father died two years ago. It was his birthday a few days ago, that's why she's told me." I guess she thinks that's going to clear things up for me... except it's not.

"That's sad." I say dumbly because honestly I don't see what that has to do with Miley crying.

"You don't get it, Nick!" She wails, her blue eyes filling up with tears all over again. _Oh no_. "He cheated on her mother and they were divorced... Demi hated him for breaking his mother's heart so she turned her back on him. And then he died of cancer!" I wrap my arms around her again as she lets a few tears slip. "I've been so busy hating daddy..."

And just like that, I'm understanding what's going on here... The pieces fall together, fitting like a perfect puzzle.

She is afraid the same thing might happen to her. She is afraid her father might die and she will be left with guilt eating away at her because she held onto her anger against him instead of forgiving him and moving on.

"You have your reasons for being angry... These things take time." I try to reassure, kissing the top of her head affectionately.

"If anything ever happened to him, I don't know what-" She's crying all over again. I rock her in my arms and pull her down to the bed so we're lying down together.

"Shhhh..." I try to quiet down her sobs but to no avail. My heart feels like it's down in my stomach, weighing heavily. I've never seen her like this and I'm not sure I like it. Sure, she's having some break throughs and maybe, in the long run, this is going to be good for her since she has some serious daddy issues... But I can't help but worry about her. I can't help but feel her pain as she lies in my arms, crying away against my chest. I feel her tears against my skin, dampening it. My arms wrap tighter around her and I sigh with relief when I notice she's not crying anymore, merely sniffing.

A single droplet of tear in those large blue eyes is enough to shatter my heart, I realise with mixed feelings. When did I become so protective of her?

I tuck the stray strands of hair behind her ears and smile down at her.

"You're going to be fine, Mi. Because whatever you decide, it will be the right thing to do." Even I'm surprised at my wise words. "Just... let time do its job. Heal. Take things one at a time. Make sure you do what _you_ want to do. You can't make decisions based on a guilty conscience." I don't know if my words make any sense but she nods slowly, listening carefully to everything I'm saying. "Just know I'll help you however I can, okay?" She wraps her arms around my neck and tugs me close. I hug her close and kiss her forehead before pulling away and standing up.

"You wanna stay the night?" I question as I strip down to my boxers and take out a pair of sweatpants from my cupboard. I slip them on before turning to Miley whose eyes are already closed. Okay...? That was fast.

"Next time warn me when you're about to strip in front of me." I jump when I realise she's not sleeping.

"Sorry." I laugh as I pull out a comfortable t-shirt to sleep in.

"Lucky for me, you're not too bad on the eyes." She teases. I feel my cheeks reddening at her admission and I'm thankful she's staring at the ceiling so she doesn't notice I just blushed. _I_ blushed.

"Do you want something a little comfier to sleep in?" I'm already rummaging through my cupboards, trying to find a pair of shorts that will fit her.

"Mmm." She hums softly, her eyes drooping close. I can tell she's fighting against the much needed sleep.

"Come on." I gently tug on her arms and pull her up. I push her towards the bathroom and hand her the clothes I found her.

"I never said I was staying!" She calls out as soon as I shut the door to give her some privacy.

"You didn't have to." I holler back, laughing to myself. She can barely walk straight... does she really expect me to let her drive home in this state? I shake my head. She has another thing coming if that's what she thinks.

She emerges moments later, clad in a pair of shorts and a large t-shirt of mine. She looks adorable.

"Come on, I'll even tuck you in." I tease as I motion for her to get in. She frowns as she gets under the covers and raises her eyebrows as she watches me pull the covers over her body. "Good night." I lean down and give her a quick hug.

"Wait." She whispers, her voice not sounding like her own. "Where are you going?"

"Guest room." I answer simply, as if obvious.

"But this is your bed."

"Mmmm and I'm lending it to you for the night. You should feel special." I tease, laughing softly at how she's trying to fight off the sleep. Her previous emotions had rendered her emotionally exhausted.

"Good night." She finally mumbles, unable to fight the sleep any longer. I gently close the door as I step out and head towards the guest bedroom, preparing myself for a long, sleepless night.


End file.
